1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable-circumference folder having a gathering cylinder fitted with holding elements and folding blades and an accelerating device for feeding products from a cross-cutting device to the gathering cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,310 discloses a variable-circumference folder having a crosscutting device for crosscutting a web stream fed into the folder. The products produced in the process are accelerated by an accelerating device in the form of a conveyor belt and are fed to a gathering cylinder. The gathering cylinder is equipped with grippers which firmly hold the products fed to the gathering cylinder.
A problem with such gripper folders is that the grippers have to be set to the respective product thickness. In addition, during gathering production of products (in particular during multiple gathering), the products are often damaged by the grippers, even though gaps of at least 30 mm are normally already created between the products being fed to the gathering cylinder. Furthermore, it is also possible for the products to be displaced in the circumferential direction in relation to one another on the gathering cylinder (this displacement is referred to as the gathering offset) during gathering production.